


Goodbyes and Endings

by AnneLaurant



Category: W.I.T.C.H.
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, F/M, Heartbreak
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 14:25:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10492830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnneLaurant/pseuds/AnneLaurant
Summary: Cedric might have survived the encounter with Ludmoore, but, as Will and Orube realize, the damage had been dealt, and there was nothing anyone can do.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I cried several times while writing this. (The question is, why on earth did I write this??? Isn't the pain from canon enough?!?!)  
> Inspired by [Aoi Hitomi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SesuV9VirnA) by Maaya Sakamoto.

Normally, the Congregation of Kandrakar would want an audience with a prisoner of theirs, especially after he had been captured by the guardians.  
  
Not this time.  
  
The Keeper of the Heart was confused, having appeared with only her fellow guardians and the victim of their latest enemy... enemies. There were six of them before the Triumvirate and the Congregation; when the transfiguring cards had escorted them to Kandrakar, there were eight of them.  
  
"Where did Orube and Cedric go?" she asked, "Are they... is Orube being punished, too?"  
  
Himerish shook his head. "No, but I don't think it's an appropriate time to ask them our questions, so I had them appear somewhere else."  
  
"He totally blundered that," Irma commented, "And what's with him asking Orube to come with him?"  
  
"Two people, one man and one woman, alone down a basement." Taranee huffed, displeased with the situation. "What else could that mean?"  
  
Will had never seen Matt this disappointed, this angry, or this confused before. "Ugh, seriously?! That's, that's impossible! I mean, Orube's so nice and Cedric is a evil lying bastard! I-I can't imagine them together, that's just... yuck!" He... he felt betrayed.  
  
Cornelia sighed. "Even Elyon herself couldn't resist Cedric's charm. He so easily manipulated her... and now, Orube..."  
  
"They're both not from Earth, so..." Hay Lin tried to explain. "Maybe they did form a bond. I mean, being in a place away from home can be lonely, right? But, err, um... I guess that doesn't excuse anything."  
  
The Congregation Hall grew silent. Will turned to the Triumvirate. "What's gonna happen to them? Will they...?"  
  
There was a heavy pause, before Yan Lin replied, "Only time can tell."  
  
\--  
  
Their eyes had not met since he blasted a ray of energy towards her feet. As he expected, she was angry. Cedric didn't know how to handle this kind of situation; he never had the upper hand when he made a girl angry, much less when this particular girl was Orube - Orube, who trusted him. Orube, whom he had feelings for. Orube, whom he wished to share his life with.  
  
She expected that they'd show up before the Congregation. Instead, the two of them were alone in this empty room, that seemed to be for nothing else but meditation. She sighed. Orube hadn't had the courage to face Cedric. Her eyes kept themselves fixed to the ground. Not after his confession. Hah. Confession. Lies. All he had were lies.  
  
Cedric felt that he needed to say something. "Orube, I..."  
  
But, there was no room for error or doubt, anymore. "Don't." Her words cut through him like ice. "Didn't I tell you before? Keep your words for yourself."  
  
He bit his lips. "I still... do feel that way."  
  
Lies. "You don't feel anything. You don't feel anything but your desire for power."  
  
He'd never been this... humiliated? Humiliated, was it? It... was painful. "...that's true. But that's not all that I--"  
  
Lies! "Didn't I tell you before?! I hoped that you would change, but you used me! You used me and you lied to me!"  
  
It hurt. It hurt to hear the truth. It hurt to be honest. "I... I can't say that's a lie."  
  
It was all... lies... "So what are you doing, then? Didn't I tell you to keep your words for yourself?"  
  
Still, still he... what he felt towards her wasn't a lie. "Orube, please--"  
  
She swung her fist towards him, but stopped before she hit his face. "Don't. Please. I'm begging you. Don't."  
  
He reached his hand to grasp her fist. "Orube..."  
  
She flinched at the contact. "Let me go."  
  
His hand slid down to her wrist, and he pressed his lips on her knuckles. His eyes wandered towards her face, veiled by her hair. Were all the words that needed to be spoken, spoken? Was there truly nothing to be done anymore?  
  
Her hand slid down to his tunic, but he didn't let go. She gripped hard at the fabric, trembling with all the feelings boiling inside her. She could feel his heart beat... fast, and loud. No, she musn't... she musn't...  
  
It pained him to admit it. It humiliated him. However, it was the one thing he could only say. To try and turn things around. To try and save what was crumbling to dust. If he failed to bring the desired result, then... then surely, everything was over. However, he had to tell her. At least, to let her know.  
  
What was she doing? She ought to leave now. She was only encouraging him, giving him hope where (she believed that) there was none. He toyed with her where he saw fit, so why stay with him? She had to retrieve her hand, too. She had to let go. However, her fingers refused; they even gripped tighter...  
  
"Orube, I love you."  
  
The world seemed to stop. Slowly, Orube's trembling eased, and her hand lifted up to Cedric's face. He nuzzled against it, giving it soft kisses... until she swung it away, and slapped him. He stumbled to the ground, and stroked his bruised cheek with his eyes cast on the floor. Damn. He really... messed this up, didn't he?  
  
"Sorry. But I think, I'm fine the way I am right now."  
  
Orube still hadn't met Cedric's eyes. No. She would not allow herself to be enchanted by those blue eyes again. Her shaky legs moved - she walked slowly, then briskly, then she sprinted to a run. Yes, there was no going back now. She would not allow herself to overlook his deeds, or to look back in pursuit of a fruitless affection.  
  
\--  
  
Per Endarno's advice and with the Congregation's permission, the guardians took their liberty to walk around the halls of Kandrakar. Will let her feet guide her. She only hoped she could find the way back to the Congregation Hall... and that Matt was okay. She left him with the Triumvirate, after all. Maybe they're trying to calm him down, to help him cope with the trauma he suffered from Ludmoore and Cedric... and the trauma of learning that, probably, Cedric and Orube were an item... or at least, had mutual affection for each other.  
  
Will had never felt sadder. She teased Orube about Cedric before. It was a harmless joke between two girls, talking about a guy. That was a normal thing to do. Will never wanted things to end this way. Maybe, maybe the Congregation was talking about her punishment. All the guardians were tasked to keep an eye on Cedric, and not just Orube. Orube happened to be the only one who could spare so much time.  
  
Ugh. Will had to take responsibility for this. All she could think about was deepening her relationship with Matt! But, that was a normal thing to do, too. She was just a girl; 15 going on 16. Two years? About two years had passed since she became a guardian, since she... was no longer just a normal girl. Why did she choose to accept the Heart, if she didn't know how to handle the responsibility?  
  
No. It was useless to try finding someone or something to blame. It was simply misfortune, and what's done was done. There was no use in trying to bring the past back, or in playing around with what-ifs. There was nothing to do, but walk forward. Hadn't it been similar with Dormouse? The driver meant no harm; Dormouse didn't mean to be so careless. It was... simply his time. He had been a good friend to her, even if he was mischievous. Nothing can take her time with him from her, or his memories from her.  
  
By a similar logic, Cedric was simply too stubborn. He desired power, and he desired freedom. He desired to attain both so quickly. He chose not to understand what it meant to be 'good'. That was all to that. Orube, meanwhile, was only doing her job, and was only trying to understand Earth. She felt a great desire to share her experience as an alien, and talking with Will and the others wasn't enough to quench her loneliness. That was all to that.  
  
Cedric just found someone he thought he wouldn't desire to have by his side. Orube just found someone with whom she can share her feelings.  
  
It just so happened it was each other they found.  
  
That's all there was to that.  
  
Wait, no. There was one more detail. If Will was correct, then this should be the first time they ever experienced love. Aw, man. Will certainly didn't know how a guy would feel about his first love, but she surely felt pity for Cedric, and she knew how Orube would feel.  
  
As she thought about how the pair should be dealt with, Will heard sobbing. She followed the sound, quick but silent on her toes. She had never saw or heard Orube cry, but Will knew from the soft sighs that it was her friend.  
  
Oh, dear... was it even a good idea to come here? Will had a misunderstanding with Orube about Matt, and got called childish for it. Will couldn't refute it; she was indeed childish at that time. But, it was a time when everyone was confused about the changes in Kandrakar, no thanks to Phobos. She wasn't in any condition to make coherent decisions, not when it felt like her own heart was being crushed by her duty to Kandrakar, and the decision to keep her guardian life a secret, even if her constant absences and lousy excuses kept giving her failing grades, or breaking her mother's heart, or lying to Matt. Now that she thought of it, had she ever actually said sorry to Orube?  
  
And now, the tables have turned. It was Orube who felt pain now, caused by someone she loved, the same person who led Matt into being imprisoned.  
  
Will took a deep breath. She'd need all the wisdom she acquired, to console a friend who was in need.  
  
The Keeper of the Heart walked towards the sound again, leading her to a room with what seemed to be fountains. Water flowed from the walls, and filled up a pond with beautiful pink lilies. The pond surrounded a small walkway - at its end was Orube. She was still sobbing, and it was so heartbreaking to see her like that.  
  
Will approached slowly. She had to take a good amount of care. She might not be welcome. Once she thought she was close enough, she kneeled down, and softly pronounced the foreign name. "Orube..."  
  
Orube did not flinch. She must've sensed Will's presence. The warrior slowly turned around, revealing red puffy eyes. "Will... oh, Will..."  
  
Will opened her arms, gently placing Orube in a warm embrace. It was a welcomed gesture; lithe but strong arms returned it.  
  
"Will, tell me, please tell me. Was I a fool to believe in love?"  
  
Will shook her head. "No. Not at all."  
  
"Was I a fool to believe that he might have changed?"  
  
"Of course, not."  
  
"Was I a fool to believe... to believe we can be together?"  
  
"No, it's normal. He simply refused to... understand."  
  
Will released the hug to hold her friend's hands, and looked into Orube's eyes. Brave, brave Orube. For the sake of Matt and the guardians, she sacrificed her happiness. "You were very brave."  
  
Orube's eyes fell to the ground. "Brave for what? For walking away from what I perceived to be my personal happiness? For choosing duty above self?"  
  
"No, for realizing that he'll do you more harm than good. For accepting that."  
  
She closed her eyes and nodded, sobbing softly once more. Will gave a long sigh. "You know, my Mom and I kind of went on a similar experience, with my Dad."  
  
Will paused to make sure Orube was listening. The Basiliadean lifted her head and opened her eyes. 'Please, go on.'  
  
"We sure had happy memories with Dad. I myself don't remember most of them, but I do believe he's the one who taught me how to love frogs. I'm pretty sure I was a difficult child, and that I gave him a lot of work... I also want to believe that the short time I spent with him as a teen was real, that he loved me and he cared about me. But..." Will forced down a sob. This was getting harder to tell. "I couldn't accept that Dad and Mom couldn't work out their relationship. You see, money can be a big deal to us humans. Dad needed money, wanted money. He got addicted to gambling, and he left us when things with Mom got so bad. He came back a few weeks before we met you, but he was was only interested in Mom's money... that's something I couldn't believe. I mean, which daughter would want to believe that her father only wanted her and her mother for the sake of... something as stupid as... money?!"  
  
Will broke down into sobbing herself. "I'm happy I get to stay with Mom! I'm happy that I get to stay with my friends here in Heatherfield! I swear! But... but... it still feels so empty... I hoped I was only dreaming, but I wasn't. My dad... replaced me with money. I thought we'd be a happy family, him, Mom, and I, if we tried. I thought so... but then, he suddenly walked away. I'm happy I can stay with Mom, but... that doesn't quite replace the fact that he left us and never came back ever again. We never even heard from him, and even Judge Cook, Taranee's mom, couldn't say why. He never left an explanation. That day, he... he just disappeared."  
  
"Will..." Orube's own sobbing had softened. That's... that was better. Thank goodness. Thank goodness she was understanding.  
  
"I'll never forget him. I'll never forget that we were happy. Even if it was just all a lie. But, I can't give excuses for his actions. There isn't any. And, and I know that it's different with Cedric, but, I hope that my story with Dad helped you."  
  
Orube looked to the side, and nodded. "Thank you, Will."  
  
The two girls spent their time in the silence of flowing water, clasping each other's hands. There was no telling when the wound would be healed. However, the minutes that passed by in silence, dried the first onslaught of tears, and calmed the initial trauma of the heart.  
  
Then, Will remembered something important. "Orube, will you go back to Heatherfield? I mean, can you?"  
  
Orube sighed, and took some time to answer. "I... don't think I can. Not now." It was sad, but what Orube needed now was comfort. Heatherfield would only remind her of her pain.  
  
"But, will you still join us in future missions?"  
  
"Of course. This is, how do you guys say it, highly unprofessional of me."  
  
The two girls laughed. Thank goodness. Thank goodness Orube could still laugh like this, even if her first love ended in heartbreak.  
  
"...what's going to happen now?" the warrior asked.  
  
"I'm not sure," Will answered, "But, I guess, for now, we should rest."  
  
"Yeah. I'd like that."  
  
They turned to watching the lilies float around, then their own reflections.  
  
"I loved him, you know."  
  
Orube might've wanted to speak about her experiences. Will could only nod and say, "Yeah."  
  
"I loved him, and I was ready to embrace love."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"But I guess, he wasn't."  
  
A tear fell from her eye to the water, creating ripples in their reflections in the water.  
  
"Can I... undo this? Un-love him?"  
  
Will tried to choose her words carefully. "Maybe. Maybe in time, you can forget about your feelings for him."  
  
"But I don't think I'll be able to forget him."  
  
"I don't think you have to."  
  
"Can I still recover from this? Will I be able to love again? What if I... get hurt again?"  
  
"Um, for that, maybe you should ask Cornelia." Will nervously chuckled. "Or maybe my Mom. Oh, wait, you're not going back to Heatherfield. I guess I can ask Mom for you."  
  
Orube gave a soft giggle. "Thanks."  
  
Another moment of silence passed by, and allowed for Will to gather the courage to ask. "Do you... still love him?"  
  
Without hesitation, her friend answered. "I do."  
  
A peaceful few seconds went, before Orube gave Will another hug, and started crying again. Truly, only time can tell. Only time. Time, and heart.


End file.
